


Nothing If Not Loyal

by DarkeShayde



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Again, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Discovery, F/M, Falling In Love, Magic, Memory Loss, Portals, Recovered Memories, Reunions, Slow Build, Temporary Character Death, Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24782473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkeShayde/pseuds/DarkeShayde
Summary: Ginny Freyr only remembers the last thirteen or so years of her life. Everything before that is a complete blank. Recently she has been having dreams or visions of a golden city, and a tall, dark-haired man dressed in green and gold. Who is this oddly familiar stranger? And why is he haunting her dreams? Maybe she’ll get some answers, when the man himself shows up in her apartment.
Relationships: Loki/Sigyn (Marvel)
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags and rating may change as the story progresses. Updates will be random and sporadic. Basically when I get a section done, I will post it. With the Covid-19 going on, I am unable to get a lot of free time to write. (I’m an essential worker.) Luckily, I have a pretty good idea of how I want this story to end, so there’s an upside!

“So, tell me Ginny, do you have any new strays hanging around your place that I don’t know about or was Brooke the last one?” My best friend, Cassandra, asked as we walked toward a café we frequented, conveniently located near the apartment building we both lived in. I could not help but laugh at the way she phrased her question.

“They aren’t ‘strays’, Cass.” I told her. “They just are lost souls that need a little help. I like being that help. It’s just who I am. But no…Brooke was the last one. I may need some time to recover from…all that.” Cassandra laughed. She had the loudest laugh I had ever heard and it made me smile every time.

Cassandra knew that I would take in whoever crossed my path that needed my help, within reason of course. And they somehow always seemed to find me. I had been a beacon to strangers in need for as long as I could remember. Granted, I could not remember most of my life. Maybe I had not always been who I was now. But the last one I had allowed to stay with me had not really wanted help so much as she had wanted a place to hide from the cops so they could not arrest her for the multiple DUIs and drug possession charges that she had racked up. Since she was careful to hide any substance abuse from me, I had no idea until the cops ended up knocking down my door looking for her. It turned into a big mess. One I was not looking to repeat. Ever.

“Why do you ask?” I turned to my friend. She shrugged.

“I don’t think you’ve ever gone this long without someone crashing at your place.” She began. “It’s just usual is all. Your bleeding heart normally rebounds faster than this. I’m just making sure you are okay.”

“Aww!! You worried about me?! How cute!!” I cooed at her, my words laced with my usual sarcasm. Cassandra punched me on the arm playfully. Honestly, I was glad someone was looking out for me. I had no family that I knew of, and no memory of my life before around thirteen years previous. I woke up one day in a hospital with no name, no memory, and no one there that knew me. Cassandra had been my nurse then and my best friend ever since. But try as I might, I could never find out anything about who I had been before waking up in the hospital. All I had from before was a necklace with something carved on it in a language that I could not read.

After getting our coffee, we decided to head home and maybe watch a movie since the café was abnormally crowded and neither of us were overly thrilled about crowds. We walked mostly in silence, Cassandra knowing that I like to savor my coffee instead of gulping it down like the nine to five crowd did. Just as we arrived at our building, Cassandra stopped dead in her tracks with a loud gasp.

“Oh my freaking…” She muttered. I turned to see what she was talking about, but could not see anything that warranted such a reaction. Even from her over-the-top personality.

“What?” I asked, trying to keep the alarm out of my voice. Cassandra shook her head and literally facepalmed. I resisted the urge to point out that she looked just like the emoji when she did that, and somehow managed to keep the concerned look on my face.

“I totally spaced!” She cried in frustration. “I am supposed to be at my nephew’s birthday party in like ten minutes! It takes nearly twenty-five minutes to get to my brother’s house!” My shoulders slumped with relief and a smidge of annoyance at her overreaction. Well, at least it was not a _major_ emergency as I initially had feared. But I knew that she felt bad running off since we had planned to spend the day hanging out and doing nothing. My third or fourth favorite pastime. The top ones being reading, doing art of almost any kind, and playing pointless computer games that brought me far too much enjoyment.

“Go on.” I told her with a wave of my hand and a smile. “I would never _dream_ of keeping the favorite aunt from the birthday celebration of a most beloved nephew. Not even _I_ am as cruel as that!” Cassandra rolled her eyes at my overly dramatic tone, but dashed up the stairs to her apartment anyway. I walked at a much calmer and less hazardous pace to my own place, a few floors up from hers.

As I walked down the hall, I wondered briefly what Cassandra would do or how she would react if only she knew that some of my so-called ‘strays’ had not been entirely human…or even from Earth. Especially now that we knew of other worlds thanks mainly to the invasion of New York not too terribly long ago. Goodness, at least one of the Avengers was not even from Earth! To say that I attracted those that were lost and in need of help, was very understated. Apparently the whole universe knew to come to my place if they needed help. I had hidden some downright strange and probably dangerous creatures and beings in my apartment over the years. Oddly enough, the ones that had been the biggest handfuls were the humans. These other beings usually were very polite and only stayed for a night or two. I had some that talked at length about themselves and others that never uttered a single word, well none that I understood anyway. They almost always left with a slight bow and a kiss to my hand. As if I was royalty.

So many times, I would walk into my apartment after work and find some poor creature laying on my floor out cold, hiding in a closet, under a piece of furniture, or in the bathtub, or even standing in my living room in total confusion and asking for any kind of aid. The first time had been a somewhat traumatic experience for all parties involved, but I quickly grew accustomed to the strangeness. Something that made me doubt my own sanity at times. Now I helped them as much as I could and sent them on their way.

Thankfully, that day my apartment looked and felt empty. I really was not in the mood for any otherworldly company. I had not been sleeping well lately. My dreams had been plagued with frantic screams for help and buildings crumbling and engulfed in flames. I could still see the images and hear the cries long after I woke up, usually waking drenched in a cold sweat. And it had only been getting worse.

I settled back into the couch with one of my favorite books, _Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast_ by Robin McKinley and my quickly cooling coffee. When I looked at the clock next, it was because my stomach was growling and I realized that I had been sitting there for several hours so lost in the story even though I had read it before. With a sigh, wishing that _my_ dishes would cook and serve food on their own, I stood up with the intention of getting myself something to eat. I had barely made it two feet from the couch, when I had the strangest feeling come over me. I paused and tried to sort out what was the cause, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After a few seconds the feeling passed and I resumed my trek towards the kitchen. My dinner was not going to make itself, after all.

**********

It was very late at night, I knew before I had even opened my eyes. That feeling from before was back and much stronger than ever. I had been feeling it off and on for days. Sometimes it was strong, but at other times very faint. I could feel a presence clearly this time. Someone was _here_ in my apartment…and yet they were not. It did not make any sense. I carefully got out of bed and made my way to the door of my bedroom. Putting my ear to the wood, I held my breath as I listened for any sounds coming from the other side. It was perfectly quiet. That did not bode well. I had been snuck up on a couple of times by some odd creature showing up out of the blue and did not care for a repeat performance as jumpy as I was. With extreme caution, I silently opened the door and peered out into the gloom of my living room. What I saw took my breath away and not in a good way.

Laying on his back in the middle of the living room floor with his head turned away from me, was a man. He was pale skinned, with long, dark hair and was very tall. He was dressed entirely in black and green leather armor with gold accents and a long green cape attached at the shoulders. While it looked as though his attire had once been very fine, it was now filthy and looking worse for wear. When I walked around to his other side, I saw his face was covered in cuts and scraps as well as blood and dirt, as if he had been in a fight or a crash very recently. His green eyes were half opened and I could see they had once been piercing and brilliant, but now they were bloodshot and unfocused. I had the sudden and very uncomfortable realization that I was looking at a corpse. There was a corpse in my apartment, sprawled out on my rug. Something about him was off though. It was like looking at a mirage. Something that was not really there. I also got the vague impression of another form laying over him, but it was no more than a shadowy image.

“Oh my…” I barely breathed out the words and with that the spell was broken. There was no body laying on my floor and the sensation of someone being in the apartment vanished along with him. It was as if it had never happened. But I could still see him quite clearly in my mind’s eye. The image made me want to fall to my knees and cry. I felt as if I had just lost something very important, but I could not quite recall what it was. I unsteadily went back to my bedroom and crawled into bed. Curling up under the comforter I knew sleep would be a long way off.

*********

“You look awful, Gin!” Cassandra said a few days after the incident of my disappearing midnight visitor. I had not mentioned anything to her, but the dark circles under my eyes could no longer be hidden with makeup, no matter how much I put on. I knew I looked rough. Sleep seemed to hide from me and every time I closed my eyes and started to relax, I would see him again. It was getting ridiculous.

“Gee thanks, Cass.” I muttered. As tired as I was, I was starting to get snappy and overly emotional about everything. Something I hated with a passion about my temperament, but could not always help. Cassandra gave me a look and I went back to my fifth cup of coffee that day. Not that it made a difference how many cups I had. Caffeine never kept me awake, but it made me dislike the world just a little bit less.

“You know what I mean.” Cassandra went on. “Do you have a new houseguest or something?” I shook my head and took another sip. It was not _technically_ a lie. I did not have a guest staying in my apartment…he was behind my eyelids apparently. And I would still get the feeling someone was there, but had seen nothing else so far. I felt bad not admitting everything to Cassandra, but I remembered how things were when I had first awoken in the hospital. How, whatever I had told them, had caused them to place me in the psych ward. I could no longer remember what I had said then, but I remember feeling lost and full of despair. They told me that some additional memory loss was normal. But it caused the trust issues I apparently already had to get worse. No one knew everything about me and I was safer for it.

“I’ve just not been sleeping well.” I admitted with some reluctance when she would not stop staring at me. “I’ve been having some weird dreams that don’t make sense and I have a hard time getting them out of my head after I wake up. But then I don’t really remember them very clearly either.” That last part was not strictly true. I _did_ remember them in almost perfect detail, but I did not want to tell her about them. Cassandra nods sagely at me and pauses to think.

“You need a vacation.” She finally announces. “You been running yourself ragged managing that mess of a records office at the clinic and your stress must be manifesting itself in dream form. You have some PTO saved up, right? Use it!” That was actually a good idea. I hummed as I considered what she had said. I was not particularly thrilled with the idea of spending a lot of extra time in my apartment, but some time where I did not have to worry about work and could just relax would be nice.

“That’s not a bad idea, Cass.” I agreed. “I’m beyond tired. Maybe I will take some time off from work. Maybe even take a mini trip out of town for a few days.

**********

It started to get crazy soon after my conversation with Cassandra. I could hardly go a day without seeing something or someone from the corner of my eye. A hint of green here, a black blur over in the corner, or a flash of gold in the dark late at night. It was like being followed by a ghost. That was the absolute _last_ thing I needed. At least the strange creatures I normally dealt with were _alive_. It was not just when I was at my apartment anymore, which would have been preferable. Now I saw him everywhere I went. Once when I went out for a jog in the park I could have sworn that I saw him laying on the walkway much like he had on the floor of my living room. But he was gone when I reached the spot he had been. I thought I could ever so faintly see him in many of the mirrors or windows I passed. Mostly it was just a brief glance, but on occasion the image would linger before simply being gone. He would sometimes be off in the distance, soon lost in the crowd or sitting at a table in a restaurant I walked passed, but gone when I looked again. It was about to drive me mad.

The idea of some time away was looking better and better all the time, but it had not yet been approved so I had to play the waiting game. Cassandra offered all kinds of advice about how to get better sleep, but short of knocking myself out with some serious sleep aid, nothing helped at all. I always woke up tired and even somewhat depressed. My entire life had been turned on its side and nothing had really even happened! Nothing that I could prove anyway. I realized quickly that if anyone knew everything I was experiencing, I would probably be declared mentally unfit to live alone. I was not going to be put in some mental faculty. Not again.

Even more unusual was that I had had no other strange visitors, human or otherwise, show up since all this madness had started. If I had believed in fate, I would have said that it knew I needed to devote my full attention to the problem at hand. This stranger certainly had my full attention whether I was awake or asleep. My dreams were filled with images of him and many other people in similar attire, strolling through a lavish kingdom that looked, oh so _familiar_. What scared me most about these dreams is that I could swear that this was the same place I had previously and occasionally still dreamt was on fire and in ruins.

One night, after waking up suddenly once again to visions of destruction and screams for mercy and salvation, I could no longer take it. I threw the sheets off of me and marched directly to my living room. I stood in the middle of the room, practically vibrating in anger. This was _my_ home and I was not going to put up with this for even a second longer. 

“Enough!” I said in a harsh whisper, surprising myself at the evenness of my tone. “I am tired and who or whatever you are, you are keeping me up and stressing me out. I have _had_ it! Enough.” In the back of my mind, I was shocked at the sudden and blissful calm that settled over the apartment after my little outburst. And yet, I had fully expected that to be the result. I gave the room a cursory glance of suspicion and returned to my bed. For the first time since I had seen the stranger in green and black, I fell asleep and slept peacefully through the entire night.

**********

The next month, I finally got some time off from work, but decided against going anywhere. I could not say what made me think it, but I knew I would need to be home. _Something_ was going to happen. Thankfully, the dreams had abated somewhat. Though I would still get that strange feeling now and again, but not nearly as disturbing as before. Now it was almost familiar and comforting. Also I could have sworn that I saw the man in green again. Though this time he had been alive and well. He had been standing and looking out the sliding glass doors that lead to the small balcony off my living room. I blinked and he was gone with no trace he had ever been there. It was far better than turning a corner and seeing a body on the ground, something I kept expecting to happen at any time.

The first couple of days I had off were quiet and relaxed. I reread a few of my favorite books, including _Keturah and Lord Death_ , _The Secret Garden_ , and _The Hollow Kingdom_ trilogy. I was on my way back from the local bookstore with a stack of new books I was eager to start on when all of a sudden, I knew. It had happened. Whatever it was that I had been waiting for, had happened! I hurried home as quickly as I could without looking like I was crazy or like I was being chased by someone. I was all nerves when I slid my key into the lock.

When I opened the door, the very thing I had been dreading seeing, was before my eyes again. Laying on my faux fur rug in front of the couch, eyes open and unseeing, was the same man from before. He was in exactly the same place as he had been the first time. But it was different this time. He was _actually_ here. I blinked in shock before it occurred to me that it was probably better if none of my neighbors saw a body laying in the middle of the floor in my apartment, as it might be kind of hard to explain. Thankfully most everyone was at work right about now.

I closed the door and put down the bag of books. Some part of my brain had refused to drop the bag and possibly damage them, ridiculous as that was in the moment. I stepped closer to the figure on the floor. What was I supposed to do now?! Was he even actually dead? I knelt down next to him and carefully checked for a pulse or for a sign that he was breathing. Nothing. His skin was cool to the touch even.

Just as I was considering what to do next, he took a sudden, deep breath and sat bolt upright, eyes opening wide. I scrambled away from him with a cry. A cry that I muffled behind my hand and prayed that none of the neighbors were home to hear. As quick as he was awake, he was out again, collapsing back onto the plush rug and his eyes closing. He did not move again so I leaned over and saw that he was breathing normally. I checked for a pulse and found a steady beat under my fingertips, though his skin still felt chilled. Instead of being relieved at no longer having a body to deal with, I was more concerned than before. 

What kind of being dies and then comes back to life like that? Where had he come from anyway? Wait…was that a handprint shaped bruise around his neck? If it was, it was massive. That was concerning in and of itself. Had he been strangled then? That would explain the bloodshot eyes. If someone had killed him…or thought they did, would they come finish him off if they knew he was alive? Why did he seem so familiar? And not in a ‘I’ve seen this person in the grocery store a couple times’ kind of way, but in a ‘I’ve known this person for years and we are very close’ kind of way. The images from my dreams came flooding back to me. Dreams? Or…memories? My brain pushed that aside almost right away and focused back on the man before me. My word, he was handsome up close, even bloodied as he was. My brain hurt from all the questions and disjointed thoughts swirling through it. I tried to refocus on how I was going to move him. I could not just leave him laying on the floor, even if that rug was pretty comfortable to sleep on.

I got up from the floor and went to the guest bedroom. The sheets were clean, but there was a fine layer of dust on the furniture. Well, I did not come in here that often if I did not have someone staying in the room. I dusted quickly and turned down the bed. Still not sure how I was going to move him since he had to be over a foot taller than me, I returned to the living room. I half expected him to have vanished, but apparently resurrections are exhausting. He had not moved at all, save for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

I approached the slumbering figure and knelt down next to him. I did not want to wake him, but there were much better places to sleep. I reached out and shook him by the shoulder gently. I had to do it a couple of times before he ever so slightly opened his eyes to look at me. A girl could very easily get lost in eyes like those, especially now that they were not quite so dull and lifeless as they had been only a few minutes ago.

“Don’t you think sleeping in a bed would be more comfortable?” I questioned quietly. I had learned to be gentle, but leading when dealing with these beings from other worlds. They did not tend to think the same way I did. He looked confused for a moment before nodding.

“Beds are always more comfortable.” He mumbled. Well, duh. His voice was deep and rich with a curiously familiar accent. However, I would not be able to dwell on it. He began to sit up and groaned in discomfort, so I reached out to help however I could. Somehow with him leaning heavily on me, we made it to the guest room. He flopped backwards onto the mattress with more grace than I expected given the circumstances. I rubbed at my lower back and stretched gently. Blast, he was heavy!

“Thank you.” He said. It caught me off guard to hear him speak. I had thought he was out cold again. But when I looked toward him he was up on his elbows looking back at me with something like confused wonder. Like he could not quite believe what he was seeing. That made two of us.

“Not a problem.” I replied. “Do you need anything else before I go? You are probably exhausted and should get some sleep.” His brow furrowed almost as soon as I began speaking. His expression hovering somewhere between lost and disappointed. Though what could have caused that was beyond me. The strange look was gone again in seconds.

“No, I…I believe I’ll be fine.” He finally answered. “I _am_ quite tired and…I could use some sleep. Again, thank you.” I nodded and left the room, pulling the door to but not latching it just in case. In case of what? I rolled my eyes at myself, but left the door as it was.

Now that the shock had worn off, I was able to think more rationally. Or at least more skeptically about everything. Perhaps he had not _really_ been dead. Or it was what they called Lazarus Syndrome. Doctors did not really understand as much as they claimed they did, so…anything was possible. I decided to worry about it later. The adrenaline had totally worn off by then and I realized I was starved.

I glanced back at the guest room door and for a spilt second contemplated seeing if he was hungry, but I was reluctant to interact with him again. I knew him somehow and I could tell he knew me, but something was wrong. In that moment, I did not want to face it just yet. That in mind, I headed to the kitchen to get something to eat…and some coffee. I needed my comfort drink.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days were odd, not bad. Just…odd. I wanted to let him rest so I did not bother him, or that was the excuse I was using for now. I could tell he was only leaving the guest room when I was asleep or gone from the apartment. Fruit from the bowl on the counter would go missing or I would wake to the sound of the microwave beeping and hear someone open it. He seemed to be rather comfortable with modern technology, which was good. Not all of my previous tenets had adjusted to the kitchen appliances well. He also cleaned up after himself. Most of my human guests never managed that.

However this could not continue forever. Sooner or later, I was going to have to face him and the mile long list of questions that had to be answered. I knew he was as confused and uncomfortable with the current situation as I was, but neither of us wanted to be the one that brought it up. Avoiding a problem always seemed easier than confronting it. Well, until the problem became too big and could no longer be avoided. Then I usually ran into it head first, cursing my fate all the while.

The time to confront things came the day I went back to work. Specifically when I got home from work that day. It had been a fairly easy day at work, due to the weather. No one liked to do much on rainy days, so I was left alone for the most part. I got a lot done and was in a pretty good mood when I walked through my front door. When I stepped inside my apartment, I noticed my guest was out of his room and was wearing clothes that I had never seen before. I was briefly distracted by where they could have come from, but the thought was gone the next second. He stood with his back to me, looking out the glass doors at the turbulent sky. He looked just like he had in the ‘vision’ I had had previously. I guessed he had not heard me come in, because he jumped slightly when I set my keys in their dish on the table by the front door.

“Hi, so you do still exist.” I greeted him when he turned to face me. That somewhat lost look crossed his face again, but was gone much quicker this time.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” He replied. “I was just watching the lightening. Hoping to see…” He trailed off and turned fully towards me. He seemed to have come to some sort of decision when his eyes met mine again.

“I suppose I should introduce myself.” He began. “My name is Loki of Asgard. I want to thank you again for what you have done for me. Also I’m afraid I never got your name.” The small smile he offered me was strained at best. 

Loki? Of Asgard? I was pretty sure that Loki was a god from Norse mythology. The trickster god, in fact. But Thor was technically a Norse god. The _Avenger_ Thor. And Asgard was where Thor was from, right? But that name was familiar from more than just a story written ages ago. I knew that name but for the life of me I could not place where or how I knew it.

“Well, it was a crazy day so I can forgive you for not asking my name.” I answered instead of voicing my inner musings. “I’m Ginny. Ginny Freyr. How did you even get here?” This man, Loki, if possible looked even more uncomfortable after hearing my name. 

“I am not really sure how I got here to be honest. Last thing I remember before you shaking me awake is…dying. But I guess it didn’t stick.” He said with a sly grin. At least he had a sense of humor, albeit a somewhat dark one. I figured we should get along great. Cassandra was constantly bugging me about not being so, as she put it, gloomy.

“So you _were_ dead?” I muttered, but I went on before he could ask what I said. “I’m just a little confused as to how long you have been dead exactly. Because I have been seeing your dead body in nightmares both while awake and asleep, for over a month before you got here. That was maddening, by the way.” I could tell I had piqued his interest now.

“Nightmares? Before I got here?” Loki asked. “Could you tell me about them?” I hesitated. If I had not been willing to share these dreams with Cassandra, my best friend, why was I seriously considering telling everything to this stranger. Just because I knew his name did not mean I knew _him_. But…it was all centered around him to an extent, perhaps he could shed some light on this for me.

“Well, at first it was just sounds of people screaming and running, then it was a great, golden city in ruins and on fire, and finally it was seeing you laying dead on my living room floor. Which, incidentally, is exactly where you ended up.” I explained. “But then the dreams changed to seeing the same city in all its splendor, before the fire. People walking around without a care in the world. I saw you there, too. Then I started seeing you while I was out and about. Like jogging through the park or walking passed a store. Who exactly are you?” My rant was met by stunned silence and I got the feeling that Loki was not used to being speechless. I briefly felt a little pride at catching him off guard.

“Ah, well, er…” He stammered. “That is quite something, isn’t it? I’m afraid I don’t have an easy answer for you…Ginny.” Why was my name giving him such pause? I must have had an odd look on my face, because Loki paused suddenly.

“Are you alright?” Loki asked. I started out of my confusion and nodded so he went on. “I believe that you are somehow connected to that world you have been seeing and the destruction that must have happened there has reached out to you, but that is just a base theory. I’d need more information to give a better answer. Does that make sense to you?”

“It does…but I guess I’m confused as to how I could be connected to some place I have never been. I’m pretty sure that I would remember being in a place like _that_.” I said, but I knew I did not sound confident. He gave a short and almost melancholy chuckle.

“You would think you’d remember.” Loki replied. “But you would be amazed and appalled at what people forget. Whether they chose to or not.” Well, _that_ was not cryptic at all. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him, but only just.

“Okay, moving on then. Why are you not dead?” I asked. He raised his eyebrows at that, but smiled nonetheless.

“Does my being alive bother you?” He asked instead of answering my question. “Would you rather I was still dead?”

“No.” I deadpanned. “Dead bodies that suddenly show up in one’s apartment are much more of a bother than a man that comes back to life. But seriously, how _did_ you come back to life?” Loki did not answer right away. I could not tell if it was because he was not sure or, more likely, was debating how truthful he was going to be with me. Joke was on him if he tried to lie. I was known at work as the human lie detector. Somehow, I could always tell when someone was being dishonest.

“I may or may not have cast a spell some time ago that simply removes my name from Hela’s book that records the dead should it ever appear there.” Loki said. “If my name is not written in the book, then I am not dead.” I squinted at him. He was telling the truth. So magic was a thing? Interesting. Wonder when that happened. Or had it always been? Wait, not important.

“That is oddly specific for something you ‘may or may not’ have done. Clever solution, though.” I commented. Loki smirked at my response.

“Why, thank you. Any other questions for me or shall we take turns?” I blinked in surprise at his playful tone and did not answer so he took it as permission to continue. “Has your name always been Ginny?” I knew he had gotten stuck on my name.

“No.” I answered simply.

“What was it before, may I ask?” Loki pressed. He had been honest with me so I decided to return the favor and be honest with him as well.

“You may ask, but I can’t tell you. I don’t remember.” His expression was carefully and deliberately neutral. I could tell he did not want to give anything away, but had perhaps discovered something. If it was about me, I was going to make sure he told me.

“You don’t remember?” Loki repeated quietly. “Hmm. Your turn then.” My turn to…? Oh, right. I had somehow ended up playing twenty questions with the god of mischief. Not the best idea I had ever had to be sure. Wait, that was not even _my_ idea. Whatever.

“You never answered about long you had been dead.” I pointed out. “I saw your body here over a month ago, but how is that possible? Have you been dead that long or…”

“You saw into the future?” Loki finished the thought for me. “I don’t believe I have been dead all that time. The spell erases my name very quickly, but not always right away. You must have seen the future somehow. As to how I arrived here, in your home…I have no answer for that.” Another thought popped into my head right then.

“That golden city. You were in that place. I saw you.” I said. “The one you think I’m connected to. You were there so, do you know what happened to it? Where was that place? Did I know you before?” Loki actually took a step back as if he could get away from all the questions I was admittedly throwing at him. But I _had_ to know what he was keeping from me.

“All in good time, my dear.” He finally said. “If what I think has happened is true, then too much information all at once could hurt you, maybe even break you. I do wish to avoid that. Are you content to let me sort things out more first?” Actually, that made perfect sense. My head had started pounding furiously during this conversation and was only getting worse. As if something was trying to get out and was not able to. 

“I can wait.” I told him with an overly dramatic sigh. “I’m not particularly thrilled about it, but I can wait.” I was pleasant to see that he smiled and this time it did not look quite as sad and lost as before.

**********

I knew it was only a matter of time before Cassandra found out about the stranger staying in my apartment, but I did not foresee how she would react. She was hard to predict at the best of times. I found out however in Cassandra’s usual flamboyant style when she came bursting into my apartment on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Loki had been spending most of his time outside of the guest room now. Either perusing my overcrowded bookshelves, staring intently at a faint green glow hovering in front of him as if he could see something in it that I could not, or he would clean up around the apartment while I was at work. I was touched by this last gesture and tried to make sure I thanked him every time. He, oddly enough, simply pretended to not know what I was talking about. I _knew_ my apartment was not normally that clean and tidy. Housekeeping was not my strongest asset.

When Cassandra came bounding in that day, I was lounging on the couch reading. Loki, meanwhile was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, which was covered in papers, books, and drawings he had done. For a moment, no one moved or said anything. It took a lot to surprise Cassandra, but Loki’s presence did just that. She stared at him intently until he turned towards me, his expression clearly showing his discomfort at the focused attention.

“Hi, Cass.” I said. “Would you like to come in? Make yourself at home. This is Loki, by the way. He is from Asgard. Loki, this is my best friend, Cassandra.” She turned to me in shock, mouth still open.

“Ginny, do you…do you not know who he is?” She gasped out. I shook my head, so she continued. “He was the one that lead the attack on New York. He is Thor’s little brother.”

“Adopted.” Came a clipped reply from Loki. A habit, I supposed. “And did she just say ‘little’?” He added almost to himself. 

“So, you’ll correct the error in your relationship with Thor, but not the accusation that you were behind the attack on New York?” I questioned. He would not look at me or Cassandra. Instead he stared at the paper in his hands for a moment and all the while the tension built higher. Mostly due to Cassandra’s nervous fidgeting.

“I can’t fight that accusation.” He said finally. “I _was_ the one that lead the attack, but I had no choice. I did everything I could to be sure my brother and his team won that fight, while still maintaining the illusion that I was against them. No one could know I was helping the Avengers if I was going to survive.” I decided against pointing out that for someone quick to say ‘adopted’, he seemed to still very much think of Thor as his brother.

“We don’t have to talk about this right now, but we will be later.” I began. “But I want to know something. Whose side are you actually on, Loki?” He looked up at me with a pained look on his face, like he really did not want to answer the question.

“I used to be on whichever side kept me alive, but now…” He took a breath before he continued. “I am on the side of the heroes, for whatever it’s worth. I did actually _die_ to save him, after all.” I nodded satisfied and turned back toward my best friend, who was still in shock by the door to my apartment.

“He isn’t here and never was if anyone asks.” I told her. Loki looked at me in surprise, but I ignored him and went on. “He isn’t the first fugitive of the law or even the first creature from another world to stay here. Have a seat, Cass. We have some serious talking to do.” Cassandra walked over to the couch and sat down next to me, having never taken her eyes off of Loki. He gave her a slightly annoyed look before seemingly returning to his papers, but I could tell he was very much on his guard.

“So, you really _are_ from another world!” Cassandra burst out, finally turning to look at me. “And they put you in the psych ward for telling the truth! Well, we didn’t know about any of that yet, but still. No wonder you had such a hard time with you first showed up here! All that talk about other worlds and a spell gone wrong.” I did not know what to say about that. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Loki glance back at Cassandra as well. Maybe he knew what she was talking about.

“You are saying that Ginny told you about being from another world when she first arrived?” Loki asked, turned slightly to face toward us now. “What did she say exactly? Do you remember?” There was something different in his tone. Like he was about to learn something very important. I must admit I was dying to hear what she had to say as well.

“She talked about needing to get home and about a spell that should have been simple, but went wrong somehow.” Cassandra said. “She said that the throwback from the spell rebounding must have sent her here. Of course, the doctors assumed she was having a psychotic episode and gave her something to calm her down. After that, she didn’t remember anything or talk about where she came from.”

“Where did she say she was from?” Loki asked, again with barely masked urgency. By this time, he was totally facing away from the coffee table and had risen up on his knees in front of the couch. Cassandra thought for a moment, but shook her head.

“I don’t remember right off hand, but it might be in her files.” She eventually answered. “I could look when I go into work Monday. Goodness! I could be best friends with a goddess!”

**********

After I walked Cassandra to the door and said goodbye, I turned to see Loki watching me carefully. I really did not blame him for being concerned. I barely knew how to feel or react to everything that had happened. I avoided making eye contact with him as I wandered into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. I needed some time to think.

“Ginny?” I had been so lost in my thoughts I had not heard him move, so I was surprised that his voice came from right behind me. I did not turn around or acknowledge that I had heard him. It was all too much out of the blue, though I felt that I should not have been surprised. I knew about other worlds _before_ Thor had shown up. I had caused things to happen before that could only have been magic. I _knew_ I was different, I had just chosen to ignore it. Now, it was right in my face and I could no longer pretend I did not notice.

“How many worlds are there out…wherever, with people that look like me? Or you?” I asked Loki without turning around. “Surely Earth and Asgard aren’t the only ones.”

“Honestly, I do not know.” He replied. “I believe you are from Asgard, but…I have to confirm some things before I tell you what I think I know. You understand I am doing it this way to keep you safe, right? I’m not trying to trick you.” I nodded. Once the coffee was done, I poured a mug and added a small amount of cream and sugar. I slowly turned to find Loki standing behind me. He looked like he desperately wanted to comfort me, but was unsure as to how. I had the sudden and completely unreasonable desire to go to him and bury my face in his shirt, but held myself back somehow. I had a feeling that whoever I was before had been close to Loki in some way, but who I was now had no memory of him. He was a stranger.

“I’m sorry.” I found myself saying. Loki looked confused at first.

“For what?” He asked, crossing his arms in front of him with a slight smirk. “As far as I know, you have no reason to be sorry.” He was trying to make light of the situation. While I appreciated the effort, it did not help much.

“I noticed the day you got here that you looked at me like I was familiar to you, but I had no idea who you were. I still don’t really.” I begin. “I’m sorry that you woke up to a familiar face that didn’t recognize you. I’m just…sorry.” Loki’s expression softened as I spoke until he was genuinely smiling.

“Darling, if everything works out like I think it will, you will have no reason to be sorry and I won’t be a stranger to you anymore.” He said. Always with the riddles. I rolled my eyes, but felt better. The mood was decidedly lighter than it had been a few minutes ago. I walked back into the living room with Loki following close behind me. The trickster sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, intent on his books and papers once more. I settled down on the couch and picked up my book again, but could not get back into it. The story seemed so flat and boring in comparison to the afternoon I had just had. I found myself putting away my book and watching Loki sorting through the odd papers of his instead. He seemed almost as lost in all this as me, but I somehow knew one or two missing pieces and he would have the answer we both sought. If only I had some way to help…Wait, maybe I did!

Loki startled when I jumped up from the couch with a gasp. I hurried to my bedroom and began rooting around in my box of treasures hidden under my bed. It was there somewhere. It had to be. I heard Loki pause in the doorway to my room without speaking. I must have looked crazy, running off like that, but I had suddenly remembered my necklace. The only thing I had from my previous life. I continued to dig through the box. Eventually he spoke.

“Okay, I give up. What are you doing?” Loki asked.

“Looking.” I answered. “When I got to the hospital, the clothes I was wearing were almost shredded, barely clothing anymore, and I had no identification whatsoever. All I had that wasn’t ruined was a necklace. Aha!” I let out a triumph cry when I pulled the golden necklace out of a small box that had been buried in the bottom of my treasure chest. I sat back on my heels and looked carefully at the carving on the front. It was a gorgeous emerald in a gold casing about a inch and a half long hanging on a sturdy yet delicate gold link chain. On the front of the gemstone pendent was a strange symbol inlaid with gold. Loki’s colors, something whispered in the back of my mind. The symbol still made no sense to me, but…I turned and looked up at Loki to find him watching me intently again. I held the necklace out to him.

“This is the necklace I was wearing when I was found.” I informed him. “Does it mean anything to you? I’ve not made heads or tails of it.” He cradled the pendant in his palms as if it was fragile and sank down to his knees next to me. The look on his face was heartbroken yet hopeful, a terrible expression I hoped to never see again.

“This could mean everything, Ginny.” He said, almost whispering. “Give me a few hours with this, maybe a day and I’ll tell you everything I can. Deal?” I nodded quickly. Loki stood and left my room without another word. I remained kneeling on the floor for a while, reeling from all that had happened that day. I went from believing I was a mortal to being told I may be an Asgardian and I may learn even more life-altering facts tomorrow. 

It was a little early to go to bed, but with all that had gone on, I was drained and felt more than justified in hiding behind my eyelids for a while. Luckily, I was off the next day and could try to relax, maybe sleep in. I changed into my night clothes and crawled into my bed. In no time at all, I was sound asleep, strange symbols and sights crowding my dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

“Are you going to sleep all day?” A male voice asked right in my ear. For some reason, this intimate closeness was not surprising. I found myself smiling as strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I sighed deeply and fidgeted before I decided to answer the question I had just been asked.

“Would you stay with me if I did stay in bed all day?” The voice chuckled and the arms pulled me even closer against a firm chest. I now could feel whoever it was nuzzling the back of my neck and hair. He planted tender kisses on my shoulder and neck, causing me to giggle. As I rolled over to face him, I realized I was dreaming. Everything had that haze to it that only comes in dreams. I could see it, but it really was not there. When I had turned fully, I came face to face with Loki. But not the one in my apartment, no. _This_ Loki looked younger, more carefree. His hair was shorter and his expression was so much more open than it was now.

“Hello, darling.” He said as he pulled me towards him for a kiss. Darling? That was what he called me earlier. When we were in the kitchen. Dream me returned the kiss and I tangled my fingers in his hair. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine. I found myself entranced by the differences I saw between this Loki and the one I now knew. What was I seeing? Another vision? Or maybe a memory? 

“I wish you weren’t helping father with that portal, Sigyn.” Loki said, voice suddenly tense and full of worry. “It could be dangerous and we haven’t been married nearly long enough for me to lose you.” I heard my own voice laugh at his pouting tone. I cupped his face in my hands and made him look me in the eye.

“We’ve been married for a couple of centuries now and you will always think it has not been long enough. To make my stance clear, you are right about that. I’ll be careful, Loki. It’s just a simple closing spell and I am one of the best sorceresses there is in Asgard. Even your father says so. Trust me?” I said. Loki nodded, though somewhat reluctantly and, after a few more exchanged kisses, we both started to get out of bed. 

I could feel myself waking up then. I was trying so hard to stay asleep that I only caused myself to wake up faster. When my eyes fully opened, I saw dawn’s first light shining in through my bedroom windows. Loki probably had some answers for me, though I did not think I needed them much anymore. I stayed in bed until I heard the sounds of someone moving around the apartment. Soon, I smelled fresh brewed coffee and decided I should probably get up.

When I came out of my room and saw Loki standing at the kitchen counter, I froze. The Loki I saw in my apartment was now superimposed on another sight. Loki standing on a balcony looking out over that golden city. That had to be Asgard. I was so struck by the sight that I did not react when Loki turned and greeted me. Not until he was standing in front of me and shaking me slightly did I realize where I really was.

“Ginny!” Loki’s voice came through the fog in my mind. “Are you okay?! What are you seeing?” I nodded and finally my eyes focused on him standing in front of me. The concerned fright in his eyes did little to focus my mind. I had seen that same look in his eyes before.

“I’m your wife?” I blurted out. What I had meant to say was that I was fine and ask if he had any news for me, but that was not what came out at all. The stunned look on Loki’s face was priceless. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he kept changing his mind about what to say.

“Yes.” He finally answered. “You are Sigyn, Princess of Asgard and my wife. Who, by the way, has been missing and presumed dead for far too long. Not even Heimdall could see you. I pestered him until Odin forbade me to ask again. My mother…Frigga, somehow kept me from charging into oblivion after you. What happened!?” I shook my head with a grimace. 

“I’m not sure. I barely remember anything. I had a dream, or more likely I relived a memory last night of you asking me not to help with some portal and me telling you it wasn’t a big deal and to trust me.” I replied. “Then I woke up. But wait…if I am an Asgardian, why no super strength or awesome magical powers? I don’t understand this any better than I did yesterday. In fact, I think I’m more confused now.” Loki let go of me and began pacing the room. It occurred to me that he did that often when he was working out a difficult puzzle or spell. Piece by random unconnected piece, my old life was coming back to me.

“Probably the effects of the portal you were dragged through combined with…whatever you met on the other side.” He muttered. “I can’t fix it though until I know how it happened. But I don’t want to try forcing the memories to find out. That could be disastrous. I lost you once and I’ll be _damned_ if I do it again.” The passion in his voice should have been startling, but I found myself expecting it instead. My world was shifting. It was as if remembering even a little was enough to move everything back into its proper place, if but slowly.

“This is probably a strange time to ask this, but…” I began. Loki looked over at me curiously. “About my necklace?” That brought a smile to his face and he eagerly motioned me over to the couch. My necklace lay on the coffee table. Loki gestured me to sit and settled himself down next to me. He reached out and waved his hand over the pendant and I watched in fascination as an image appeared. It showed Loki and I standing together, hands clasped, before a great golden throne. A man decked out mostly in gold with an eyepatch and a burgundy cape stood in front of the throne. Though he appeared to be speaking, I could not hear anything. Loki looked so happy in this…mirage, or whatever it was, as if he had no worries. My own image beamed up at him, as if he was my whole world. Which, I guess, he was.

“This is our marriage ceremony. Or rather a recording of it.” Loki explained. I turned to look at him quickly. He gave me a soft smile before turning back to the image. “Normally, you’d hear it as well, but the pendant has been damaged. Just the picture remains now and not even all of it. I gave this to you as a present on our wedding night. It is one of a kind.” 

“I’m glad I didn’t try to sell it then.” I muttered, mostly to myself. “I got an offer or two from random strangers the few times I wore it. I never could bear to part with it. It was all I had from before, so…”

“The joke would have been on whoever bought it.” Loki replied. “I enchanted it to always return to you, or me if you were unable to receive it. The fact that it never returned to me gave me some hope that you were alive. You could have sold the necklace and found it in your jewelry box when you got home.” He laughed before his expression because thoughtful once again.

“I wonder…” He muttered. “I may be able to use it to find out what happened to you. It is a bit of a long shot, but I’d like to try if you are alright with that.” I nodded eagerly. Anything to find out how I had gotten here, maybe even regain my memories. Loki smiled at my enthusiastic response and planted a quick kiss on my forehead.

“Oh, how I have missed you, Sigyn.” He said. At first, I was surprised by the kiss, chaste as it was. Then I wanted more. Loki had stood and started to turn away when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. I did not think about it, I just pulled his face down to mine and pressed my lips to his in a thorough kiss. I felt rather than heard his gasp of surprise. Then his arms where around me, pulling me flush against him. As I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on, Loki tangled one hand in my hair and pressed the other to the small of my back, pulling me up towards him. I have no idea how long we stood there, making out like angsty teenagers, but eventually we had to part to breathe. When I made eye contact with Loki, his pupils were so dilated that there was barely any green left at all. I knew my own probably looked similar.

“…I was going to take baby steps with this. Not push you too hard.” He laughed. “But as always, you’ve surprised me, darling. You are far too distracting to be around. I fear I’ll get nothing productive done today at all.” 

“Is that such a bad thing?” I asked. “And how could you call making new memories together ‘nothing productive’? I’m hurt.” Loki laughed at my overly dramatic pout and hugged me even closer, if that was even possible. He was every bit as strong as I, all of a sudden, remembered he had been, if not even stronger.

“It is not a bad thing at all. I just would like you to have the old memories, too.” He answered. “If I can find out what caused the damage to the necklace, I should be able to find out what happened when you were pulled through that portal. And…there are things that…that I need to tell you. Conversations that need to be had. This is far from over, Sigyn. But at least I have you again after all this time.”

“So, you aren’t going to call me Ginny anymore? It technically could be a nickname for Sigyn, you know.” I asked. Loki shook his head firmly and scowled at me.

“No. Your name is Sigyn so that is what I will call you.” He said. “I had a hard enough time using that other name before you remembered who you really are. I don’t care to put forth the effort of remembering to use a fake name when there is no reason to not use the real one. Does that bother you?”

“No…I was just curious.”

“Well then, _I_ am going to see to this necklace while _you_ get yourself something to eat and a cup of that coffee you are so fond of.” Loki said. “I plan to spend the whole rest of the day after that simply being with you.” I smiled and made my way into the kitchen. I felt a brief flicker of concern about whatever it was that he “needed to tell me”. That sounded ominous. But I quickly pushed it aside. When I came back into the living room with my food and coffee, I found Loki lounging on the couch staring intently at my necklace. There was that green glow again.

“Are you doing magic?” I asked as I sat next to him. He nodded, but his attention remained focused on the pendent in front of him. I stared in fascination at the swirling green mist as it enveloped my necklace. I could see little tendrils prying around the edges and brushing over the glimmering surface of the emerald. Poking and prodding to glean all the information possible. I sat on the couch while I divided my attention between the food I was eating and the frankly amazing display I was seeing. Loki noticed my interest right away, I was quite sure, but he did not say anything about it for a while.

“What exactly are you doing?” I asked when I had finished my meal and was just watching his magic at work. If I had not been looking at that very second I would have missed the sad expression that crosses his face ever so briefly.

“I am basically just running some tests right now.” He replied. “After I get the results from the tests, I will have an idea of how to move forward to help you regain your memories. With any amount of luck, you’ll be able to remember just about everything without too much effort. But that is me being overly optimistic, I will admit.”

“So…what was the sad face for just a minute ago?” I asked next.

“You caught that, huh?” He said. I waited quietly for him to answer my question. “You used to be able to do spells like this in your sleep. You were a brilliant sorceress, Sigyn. Now you are simply amazed that magic is real at all. Seeing what was before and what has come after is…disheartening, I guess. I wish you had not helped Odin with that blasted portal. I wish that I had not let you talk me into allowing it.” My heart broke as he said that and I understood the problem. My very presence was a wonderful agony for him. Against all odds I was here, but I was not the same as I had been. I may have been Sigyn, but I was still a stranger to Loki. And it was going to take time and effort to restore things if it even happened at all.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered. Loki looked me in the eye and I knew he could tell what I was thinking about. His brow furrowed as he let the green mist dissipate. 

“This is not your fault.” He stated firmly. “If anyone is to blame, it is me for not protecting you as I should have. Or perhaps Odin for the same reason. You didn’t _plan_ to leave, so you are not at fault. Do not blame yourself.” I nodded and took a sip of my coffee to hide the despondency I knew was written on my face. Loki meanwhile had turned back to the necklace on the coffee table. The swirling mist reappeared around the jewelry and resumed its search for answers. It was oddly comforting to watch Loki so focused on a task. The look of concentration he got on his face was almost irresistible. As if hearing my thoughts, Loki turned to me with a sly grin.

“Enjoying the view?” He asked, arching one sleek black brow at me. I nodded with a hum and took another sip of coffee, watching him carefully over the top of the mug. 

“Of course.” I replied. “Have you looked in a mirror lately? You are a sight to behold.” He chuckled at my words before returning his attention to the problem at hand. As much and as hard as I slept the previous night, I should not have been tired, but I found myself drifting off. I snuggled down into the couch cushions as my eyelids got heavier and heavier. I was just about to drift off completely when the front door to my apartment burst open and Cassandra hurried in. Loki’s head whipped around at look at her, clearly not expecting the sudden intrusion once again.

“She said she was Lady Sigyn, goddess of fidelity and that she had to urgently get back to Asgard because her husband would miss her.” She burst out, having barely made it through the door. “Sorry, I had to get all that out before I forgot any of it!” I laughed out loud at her outburst, clutching my sides while Loki rolled his eyes.

“Thank you, my dear.” He said, voice dripping with sarcastic charm. Cassandra’s expression fell when we failed to react the way she had expected us to. I supposed she expected us to be surprised at the very least. I sat up from where a had slouched down into the couch and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I remembered who I was in a dream last night.” I told her. “I _am_ Lady Sigyn of Asgard and I am married to Loki.” Cassandra whipped her head over to look at Loki in shock. Like the smug trickster I knew him to be, he actually grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

“Does that make you a princess?” Cassandra asked, eyes wide in wonder.

“Well, I _did_ marry a prince so…” I said. Loki opened his mouth as if to add something, before snapping it closed again suddenly. Before I could comment on his actions, Cassandra _squealed_ in excitement and clapped her hands together drawing my attention back to her.

“That is amazing!” She gushed. “Do you remember everything? Or just bits and pieces? How did you end up here?” I held up a hand to stop her.

“No, I don’t remember everything” I began. “In fact, I remember very little. I have no idea how I got here, other than what you said the other day that Loki collaborated. And, this is a secret Cass, I mean it. Until we figure this out, no one can know.” I had no idea where that last part had come from. Only that I had gotten a sudden and uncomfortable feeling that it was dangerous for anyone to know who I was or where Loki was. I also realized that I had not gotten an answer as to _how_ he had died and he mentioned that he remembered dying.

“Got it!” Cassandra said. “Oh! I have to run. Just stopped by to tell you that. Bye guys!” I shook my head and waved goodbye as she left in her normal hurried fashion. I had not even gotten the chance to ask if she went into work today especially to check on that, since I knew she was off, but no matter. Loki had been quietly messing with my necklace the whole time, but I knew he had been listening. I briefly considered bugging him for more answers to the new questions I had, but decided that there had been enough revelations for that day, at least for that morning. With that in mind, I settled back down on the couch. I do not remember closing my eyes that time, let alone falling asleep.

**********

This time, I was aware I was dreaming right away. Before me, laying still on a massive bed, was the younger Loki. He looked pale and sickly. His closed eyes were sunken with dark circles underneath them. There was sweat beading on his brow, signs of his fever breaking at last. And his breathing was still somewhat labored, though not as bad as it had been, I recalled. My heart ached to see him like that, but at least he was recovering. Next to me, holding my hand in comfort was a regal looking woman. _Frigga_ , my subconscious supplied helpfully. Loki’s mother and the queen of Asgard.

“He will be fine, my dear.” Frigga was saying. “Sigyn, I know this is a shock to you. To learn the one you love is not what you thought he was. Odin has asked that you say nothing to him when he awakes.” I tore my gaze away from Loki and looked at her in surprise. Say nothing?!

“Should I take that to mean he doesn’t know?” I asked. “Loki isn’t even Asgardian and he doesn’t even know?!” Frigga shook her head sadly, her gaze turning back to her son. She brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead tenderly.

“When the Frost Giants attacked Midgard all those years ago, and the armies of Asgard drove them back to their own realm, Odin found a child in the temple. He learned he had found the heir to the throne of Jotunheim. Laufey had abandoned him, it seems.” Frigga explained in a hushed voice. “My husband brought him back here and we raised him as our own. One day, Odin plans to have Loki rule Jotunheim and Thor rule Asgard. Peace between the realms at long last. But no, he does not know. We never wanted him to feel different from his brother.” 

“I cannot help but think that this will not end well, my queen.” I replied. “He already knows that he is different. He is just not aware _how_ different he really is. How is he going to react when he learns that his whole life as been a lie?” 

“Do you still love him? Even like this?” Frigga asked suddenly. I turned to her in shock. Honestly, not loving him had never occurred to to me. Just because he was not quite what I had believed him to be physically, did not mean I was going to toss him aside. Loki was still the same on the inside and that was what mattered to me. He had never lied to me.

“Of course I still love him.” I declared firmly. “Loki is my husband, for better or worse. I made a vow before all of Asgard to be his. The last thing he needs is for me to turn on him. He will already feel betrayed when he learns.” The queen smiled happily at me, as if that was the answer she had been hoping to receive. After giving my shoulder one last comforting pat, Frigga stood and left the room. I turned once again towards Loki, still sound asleep.

Two days previously, I had woken up to find that, not only was Loki not responding when I tried to wake him, but he was slowly but surely turning a deep shade of blue and his skin was growing quite cold. Soon enough, there were the telltale markings of a Jotun appearing on his skin. The few times his eyes did flutter open, if only briefly, they were completely red. Apparently, Prince Loki of Asgard was not an Asgardian. Not knowing what else to do, I had called for Odin and Frigga. It seemed that Loki had caught some type of illness that was native to Jotunheim and it had caused his true heritage to come through.

How was I going to keep this from him, as the queen asked me to? Did Odin not see that if Loki discovers this before Odin decides to tell him, that it was going to cause problems? It was more than likely going to cause problems regardless. My mind was racing with questions and worries. And it was then that I woke up. 

I opened my eyes to find that I was still laying on the couch and Loki sat in front of me. After a quick glance at the clock, I realized that I had only been asleep for maybe an hour. I needed to get up anyway. If I slept all day, I would be up all night and with an office job, I could not afford to become nocturnal again. I carefully sat up, looking intently at Loki, the images from my dream still fresh in my mind. 

“Is something wrong, darling?” Loki asked. He had not even turned around, so how did he know I was awake?

“I’m fine. Just…thinking.” I answer. I decided to not blurt out what I had learned right away like I had last time. I suddenly recalled something Loki had said the first time Cassandra popped in. ‘Adopted’ brother. So, he had found out. Now the question was how exactly should I go about asking when and, more importantly, how?

“Sigyn?” I shook myself out of my thoughts to find Loki staring at me in concern. 

“You said you were Thor’s ‘adopted’ brother?” I began cautiously. 

“And that did not surprise you.” Loki said. “I have my suspicions as to why, but perhaps you would tell me if I am right?” I bit my lip and looked away for a moment. My life had gotten so complicated in the last few weeks. I could barely remember the quiet normalcy anymore.

“Do you remember when you caught that strange illness that came from out of nowhere? And you were in and out of consciousness for a little over two days?” I asked and, when he nodded, I went on. “Well, I learned something then. Something that Odin made me swear to keep a secret. He even went as far as magically binding that secret. Now that you know, I can say it. When your fever spiked, your skin changed. You turned blue, Loki. And freezing cold, despite the fever you had.” Loki’s brow had drawn down as I spoke. 

“You knew all that time?” He asked, as if in wonder. “And you never acted any different. Or rather, you were even more affectionate, if memory serves. I had thought that you were simply scared to lose me after such a close call. I never suspected…” I waited to see what else he would say. At least he did not seem angry with me. I could not have broken Odin’s bond, no matter how I tried. Something I had just then recalled.

“I’m sorry, Loki.” I whispered. I realized I had been saying that a lot. Loki turned to face me again, looking for something in my face. Seeing only my uncertain, yet sincere, expression, he shook his head and gave me a small smile. 

“It doesn’t matter now, Sigyn.” He said. “That is just one less difficult conversation we will have to have in the future.” One out of how many, I wondered.

“Is one of those conversations where you tell me exactly how you died and why you remember it?” I asked. Loki froze and stared at me. I could see the wheels turning, playing back all he had said since he arrived here. Whereas I did not have a photographic memory, I could usually remember what had been said word for word. Something that came in useful as a member of the Asgardian court. Loki knew that and was trying to remember what exactly he had said. To figure out what I already knew. I sat waiting patiently for him to speak.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” He finally muttered in resignation. “Before I explain that, there is a very long story I need to tell you. Starting with what was going to be Thor’s coronation day…” The tale I heard after that was a tragedy worthy of a Shakespearean drama. He told of going to Jotunheim, learning who he really was, falling from the Bifrost, being found by Thanos, playing the villain in New York, his imprisonment afterwards, the Dark Elves attacking, losing Frigga, Kurse killing him on Svartalfeim, masquerading as Odin, Hela returning and throwing him and Thor from the Bifrost, landing in Sakaar and the escape from there, and finally Ragnarok destroying Asgard. 

“We had just left what was left of Asgard and where on route to Midgard…when Thanos found us. He was drawn by the energy signature from the Tesseract, which I had taken from the vault. He killed many and threaten to kill more. He…he had Thor in his grasp and was going to kill him. I couldn’t take anymore. I gave Thanos the Tesseract and tried to attack him, but…he used the Gauntlet to stop me.” Loki paused then and gave me a pained look. “He…he snapped my neck then. I don’t know what happened after that. What became of the others.” He trailed off, looking out the window.

“So, when you said before you were hoping to see something in the storm the other day, you were hoping to see Thor? To know that he is okay?” I prompted. Loki nodded but did not say anything else. The rest of the afternoon was quiet, as was much of the evening that followed. We had a simple dinner at the kitchen counter before Loki went back to the living room to mess with my necklace some more. After I put away the last of the dishes, I started towards my room. I had to work in the morning and wanted to get a good night’s sleep. Especially after the emotionally exhausting day I had had.

“Off to bed, love?” I heard Loki ask from the couch. I turned towards him and nodded, but could not speak because I was unexpectedly overtaken by a huge yawn. 

“Yeah.” I finally replied. “You know, you don’t have to stay in the guest room anymore. I suppose I should let my husband sleep in the same bed as me.” I gave him a wink and headed to my room. I could hear him chuckle at me as I got ready to sleep. Before too much longer, the door to my room opened and Loki slipped in almost silently. I was almost completely asleep when I felt him climb into the bed and pull me close. I vaguely recall hearing his sigh of contentment before everything faded into dreamscapes.


End file.
